Gas leak prompts evacuations, briefly shuts section of Green Line

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A section of the MBTA Green Line briefly shut down and multiple buildings on Commonwealth Avenue were evacuated on Monday afternoon after a backhoe struck a gas line during a construction project, officials said. The backhoe hit a four-inch gas line at 1867 Commonwealth Ave. around 12:30 p.m. when the operator was trying to remove a tree stump, Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said. The MBTA’s Washington Street stop on the B branch of the Green Line had to be closed until about 1:40 p.m. , and several apartment buildings in the area were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.